SUMMIT, NJ — School administrators discussed the estimated budget impact of expanding school district’s universal half-day kindergarten into a free full-day program next year at their Jan. 17 meeting, drawing mixed reactions from residents. Talk of adding full-day kindergarten for the 2019-2020 school year began last year and, according to Superintendent June Chang, the January […]

Krizia Aponte, senior, girls basketball “Krizia has been a member of the Union girls’ basketball program since her freshman year. She has steadily improved her points and rebounding totals and is currently one of our leaders in both categories. Her hard work over the past summer has resulted in a noticeable improvement with her skills […]

UNION, NJ — Township residents will soon see a significant number of trees removed from along sidewalks and roads under PSE&G’s electrical upgrade program and the municipality’s 2019 road program. PSE&G has proposed routes for connecting the three electrical substations in the township using aboveground and buried 69 kilovolt power lines; the initial phase involves […]

UNION, NJ — Cleanliness, quality of extracurricular activities and student behavior all need improvement, according to the results of a districtwide survey of students, parents and staff in the township’s schools. The Culture and Climate survey was distributed to four groups — school staff, elementary students, middle-high school students and parents — at the end […]

KENILWORTH, NJ — The borough is about to receive a seven-figure bill for treatment of its waste water, and its commissioner to the Rahway Valley Sewerage Authority is concerned the town is being overcharged. The $1.05 million bill will represent about 4.1 percent of the RVSA’s budget during its metering year, which ran from October […]

LINDEN, NJ — State Sen. Nick Scutari, who served as city prosecutor for about 16 years, was removed from the position by a vote of the City Council at its Jan. 15 meeting. The council, the majority aligned with Scutari’s political rival, Mayor Derek Armstead, voted to replace him with Scotch Plains-based attorney Deirdre Mason. […]

CRANFORD, NJ — An attorney who assists homeowners with cell tower lease negotiations says there are ways to enhance the aesthetics of cell towers like the 130-foot-tall one Union County College proposes building on its campus. In a Jan. 11 interview with LocalSource, Hugh Odom, founder of Tennessee-based Vertical Consultants, said telecommunication giants call the […]

SPRINGFIELD, NJ — Bonnie Lafazan, who has two boys in the local school system, thinks her middle school son is being shortchanged. As a librarian, she is beside herself that none of the district’s five other schools, besides Jonathan Dayton High School, has a certified media specialist. “This is a disservice and a disappointment, and […]

UNION, NJ — Plans for a 24-unit apartment building were approved for the half-acre property at 580 North Ave. on the corner of Lynmar Way that was long home to the University Diner, at the Zoning Board of Adjustment’s Jan. 9 meeting, despite residents’ concerns. The plan passed 7-1 with member James DiGiovanni being the […]

KENILWORTH, NJ — The new council president envisions a revitalized Boulevard replete with flowers, benches and tables lining its spacious sidewalks, accentuating its small-town charm. Linda Karlovitch, who was selected as council president by a 6-0 vote in at the reorganization meeting on Jan. 1, doesn’t have to look far for a blueprint. Karlovitch said […]